This invention relates to an amusement ride and in particular an aerial ride that simulates the experience of a vintage open cockpit airplane.
In prior art devices a plurality of airplanes have been suspended from a star outrigger structure connected to a ring that travels up and down a central support tower. Each airplane was connected to a cable that was guided around a pulley at the distal end of an outrigger member, around a pulley at the base of the outrigger member and up alongside the tower to the tower top. From there the cable was guided over a set of pulleys and down into the interior of the tower. There the ends of the cables from the several airplanes were connected to a piston in a hydraulic cylinder, which on retraction would pull the cables hoisting the airplanes up short distance. The star outrigger structure was raised to a top position and mechanically locked before the entire tower and connected outrigger structure was rotated to effect a simulated flying. After the ride, the rotation was halted before the cables were reeled in, the outrigger structure lowered to the ground position, and the airplanes lowered the final distance to the ground for completion of the cycle.
The disadvantages in this prior art device relate to capacity, safety and the quality of the ride.
Raising the star outrigger structure and airplanes to an operating position before commencing rotation, and lowering the outrigger structure after the ride required substantial time. This resulted in a very restricted program and consequently limited capacity, which was well below 700 riders per hour.
The prior art cable design with the cables tracking over the outrigger members directed virtually all of static and dynamic loads of the airplane and passengers on the structure of the outrigger members and the tracked cable. Failure of either the outrigger member or the loaded cables would have disasterous consequences.
Finally, the effect generated by raising the outrigger structure and airplanes to a start position before commencing rotation and flying detracted from the fantasy of flying in a vintage airplane that is an object of the ride.
These disadvantages have been overcome by the novel construction and operation of the aerial amusement ride of this invention. By constructing a device that permits rotation and flying as an outrigger structure is raised to a maximum height and as it is lowered allows the ride to begin immediately and continue through decent, thereby substantially increasing hourly capacity for a given ride duration.
Design of a cable tracking system that is braced rather than supported by the outrigger structure relieves substantial loads from the outrigger structure. Further use of a two cable system for each airplane supported by consecutive outrigger members and controlled by separate winches divides loads and thereby maximizes safety.
Using an independently controlled two cable system connected fore and aft to a plane, and rotating the outrigger as the ourtigger and planes are raised, provides a substantial capability to simulate a takeoff and a landing. By independently controlling the cables the plane's nose can be raised and lowered, respectively, on takeoff and landing. This control provides a more natural experience for the rider.
The primary object of the substantial improvements to the aerial ride is to increase the user capacity while at the same time to provide a safer, more exciting ride.